The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Wakeman, Eliphalet, 1749-1779

Title: Account book

Dates: 1767-1783

Call No.: Fol. 254

Acc. No.: 67x26

Quantity: 1 v. (21 + 34 p.)

Location: 6 J 4

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Eliphalet Wakeman was a farmer working in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the second half of the 18th century. He was born in 1749, the son of Moses Wakeman and Molly Goodsell. He married Katherine Bennett in 1773. They had a daughter, but Eliphalet died in 1779.

A man named Stephen Morgan was born in Fairfield, Connecticut in 1741. He married Molly Wakeman, a sister of Eliphalet, in 1771.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This account book was kept from 1767-1783 by several different people including farmer Eliphalet Wakeman and a tailor, possibly Stephen Morgan. All entries are noted in British pounds. The first section records the sale of farm produce and meats by Wakeman, and documents work he performed, including plowing corn, transporting materials, harvesting flax, and pasturing animals. Shingles, rails, posts, and wood were also traded. A few notes are found about settling Wakeman’s estate.

The second part of the manuscript opens with a name index, and contains a different page numbering scheme. This section contains the business records of an unidentified tailor from Fairfield, Connecticut, possibly Stephen Morgan. Such articles of clothing as breeches, stockings, vests, "trowsers," jackets, shirts, and gloves are mentioned. The tailor supplemented his income by picking apples, pulling turnips, haying, and ploughing. This section appears in at least two different hands.

ORGANIZATION

The volume is in three sections, the first section is an account book possibly kept by Eliphalet Wakeman, 1767-1783; the second section is an account book probably kept by the same man, 1772-1782; and the third section is a tailor’s account book, possibly kept by Stephen Morgan, 1772-178-.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Argosy Book Store.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics:

Business records - Connecticut - 18th century.

Agricultural laborers.

Farm produce - Prices - 18th century.

Clothing and dress - Prices - 18th century.

Tailoring - 18th century.

Men's clothing - Connecticut - Fairfield County.

Agriculture – Accounting - Connecticut - Fairfield County.

Account books.

Farmers.

Tailors.

INDEX TO THE VOLUME

Index to Fol. 254 (acc. 67x26).

The indexer divided the volume into three parts:

.1 an account book kept by Eliphalet Wakeman, and his estate records, 1767-1783;

.2 an account book of agricultural work, including some tailor work, 1772-1782, apparently also that of Eliphalet Wakemen as his estate is mentioned; and

.3 a tailor’s account book, possibly kept by Stephen Morgan, 1772-178-.

Barlow, Nehemiah .2 (loose paper p. 13); .3 (p. index, 30)

Ben .3 (pp. iii, 1, 5-6, 8, 19, 22, 31, 33, 34)

Benjamin [surname torn off] .3 (20 – unattached)

Bradley, Benjamin .3 (p. index, 20)

Bradley, Elisha .1 (p. 22)

Bradley, Seth . 1 (p. 22); .2 (p. 1)

Bradley, Zalmon .2 (p. 16)

Buckingham, Ebenezer .2 (p. 5)

Bulkley, Daniel .1 (p. 13);

Burr, Moses .3 (p. index, 12),

Cabel, Daniel .3 (p. index, 30)

Cardwell, William .3 (p. 9, loose)

Daniel [surname torn off] .3 (p. 30 loose)

Diars .3 (p. iii)

Dier, Andrew .3 (pp. index, 22, 32)

(also spelled Dyar)

Dimon, Benoni .3 (p. index, 5)

Dimon, David - see Simon, David

Dimon, Gold .3 (p. 2)

(also spelled Dymon)

Down, Nathaniel .3 (p. index, 17)

Dyar, Andrew - see Dier

Dymon, Gold - see Dimon

Foot, Nathan .3 (pp. index, 8 [name crossed out], 18)

Fulson .2 (p. 20)

Gidian .3 (p. iii)

[Gideon probably meant]

Gilbert, Andrew .3 (p. index, 31)

Gilbert, Joseph .3 (p., index, 31)

Gilbert, Ruben .3 (p. 21)

Gilbert, Stephen .3 (p. index, 23)

Gilbert, Thadeous .3 (p. 34)

Goodsell, Lewis .1 (p. 3)

Goodsell, Samuel .1 (p. 1); .2 (pp, 7, 20); .3 (p. index, 27)

[surname spelled Goosel in index]

Goodsell, Thomas .2 (pp. 1, 16-17); .3 (p. index, 20 unattached; 30)

Goold, Luther .2 (p. 14)

[surname perhaps Gould or Gold]

Gorahm [i.e. Gorham?], David .3 (p. index, 30)

[surname spelled Grahon in index, i.e. Graham?]

Hawley, Elijah .2 (p. 7)

Hill, Augustus .2 (p. 9)

Hubell, Gershom .3 (p. index, 3)

Jackson, Benjamin .3 (p. 8)

Jackson, Samuel .3 (p. index, 13)

Jening, Edmond .3 (p. 5)

Jenings, Moses .1 (p. 22)

Jennings, Isaac .1 (p. 11)

Jennings, John .1 (p. 9)

Jinnings, Benjamin .3 (p. 20 loose)

[surname probably Jennings]

Jones, John .3 (p. iii)

Lyon, Eliphalet .2 (p. 12-13)

Mills, Ebenezer .1 (p. 6); .3 (p. index, 16)

Mills, John .1 (p. 8)

Morgain – see also Morgan

Morgain, James (Capt.) .3 (p. index, 4)

[surname spelled Morgan in index]

Morgain, Joseph .3 (p. index, 11)

[surname spelled Morgan in index]

Morgan – see also Morgain

Morgan, Stephen .3 (unattached p. 9, unattached 30)

Murwin, Epaphras .3 (p. index, 32)

Nemoney[?], David .2 (unattached p. 13)

Nichols, David .2 (unattached p. 13)

Nichols, Ebenezer .1 (p. 22); .2 (p. 13 unattached; apparently two different men with same name) .3 (p. index, 5)

(also spelled Nickwill)

Nichols, Ephraim .3 (p. index, 30)

Nichols, Ephres [?] .3 (p. 20 - unattached)

Nichols, Hezekiah .2 (p. 18-19)

Nichols, Peter .1 (p. 16); .2 (pp. 10, 16, 17); .3 (pp. index, 2, 4)

(also spelled Nickols)

Nickols - see Nichols

Nickwill - see Nichols

Oakley, Peter .3 (p. index, 17)

Olmsted, John .3 (p. index, 6)

Parrick or Parrock, Mary .3 (p. index, 24)

[surname in index: Paruck; she was a weaver]

Perry, Seth .3 (p. index, 34)

Platt, Obediah .3 (p. index, 29)

Ramond, Isaac .3 (p. index, 32)

Robberson, Samuel - see Roberson

Roberson, Jonathan .3 (p. index, 14)

Roberson, Samuel .1 (pp. 18, 22); .3 (p. index, 15)

(also spelled Robberson)

Rogers, David .3 (p. index, 34)

Samuel [surname torn off] .3 (unattached 30)

Sanford, John .3 (p. index, 17)

[surnamed spelled Sanford in index]

Schudder, Robart .2 (p. 21)

Scribner, Seth .3 (p. index, 34)

Sealey, Nathaniel (Capt.) .3 (p. index, 9)

Seeley, Isaac .3 (p. index, 32)

Silliman, Jonathan .2 (p. 7)

Simon, David .1 (p. 15)

[surname is possibly Dimon]

Smith, Ruben .1 (p. 10)

Staples, Thaddeous .3 (p. index, 30)

Stocker, John .3 (p. index, 33)

Thorp, Elisha .3 (p. index, 34)

Thorp, Hezekiah .3 (p. index, 33)

Thorp, Samuel .3 (p. index, 31)

Turney, Samuel .3 (p. iii)

Turney, Thomas .3 (p. index, 33)

Wakeman [first name torn off] .3 (unattached 30)

Wakeman, Ebenezer .1 (p. 5)

Wakeman, Eliphalet .1 (p. 1, 22); .2 (p. 16); .3 (p. index, 7)

Wakeman, Ephres [?] .3 (unattached, p. 20)

Wakeman, Kata [i.e. Kate?] .2 (p. 8)

Wakeman, Samuel .3 (p. 9, p. 30 unattached)

Wakeman, Samuel (Lieut.) .3 (p. index, 1)

Wheeler, Abraham .3 (p. index, 34)

Wheeler, Daniel .3 (p. index, 19)

Wheeler, Daniel (Lieut.) .3 (p. 3)

Wheeler, Eliphalet .2 (p. 8)

Wheeler, Hezekiah .2 (pp. 2, 7, 9); .3 (p. index, 21)

Wheeler, Ichabod .1 (pp. 2, 5); .2 (pp. 10, 11, 17); .3 (p. index, 13)

[name spelled Eccerberd in section 3, p. 13; listed in index as Wheeler, Bud]

Wheeler, Jabez .3 (p. iii, 30 unattached)

Wheeler, Jabez (Capt.) .3 (pp. index, 2, 26)

Wheeler, John .3 (pp. index, 8, 22)

Wheeler, Nathan .3 (pp. index, iii, 10)

Whitehead, Nathaniel .3 (p. 6)

Whithead, Benjamin .2 (p. 1)

Williams, David .1 (p. 22)

Williams, Elnathan .3 (p. index, 28)

[surname spelled Willeman in index]

Williams, Reuben .1 (p. 22); .3 (p. index, 32)